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Forums - Modelling / Construction |
The construction forum is for the discussion of techniques on the construction phase of AFV modelling and the tools and materials used. |
| Topics | 1893 |
| Messages | 8728 |
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| Subject: | Re: Tamiya Zimmerit tool useful? |  |
| Date: | Jul 16, 2001 |
| From: | David Levy | |
Hi Alan,
I will do my best to help. First off, there are several articles on the web
that probably say it better than I can. There is one right here on
Track-Link that is very comprehensive, covers just about every zimmerit
technique imaginable:
http://www.track-link.net/articles/vArticle.php?aid=15
The technique I am using now (which you seem to plan on using) I read about
in detail on Missing Links. I believe it is a very common technique - maybe
the most common - but James Blackwell described it very lucidly in one of
his lengthy posts; so lucidly that even a modeling moron like myself was
able to pick it up and run with it.
Unfortunately, the info was in a post not an article, so you'll have to use
the Google search to try and find it. The search technique is explained on
Missing Links, if you are not yet familiar with it.
That said, here is the short explanation of what I do:
1. Apply a very thin coat of the putty to a fairly small (say 3 cm wide)
vertical stripe of the turret or hull. I do this by dabbing putty directly
unto the model from the tube and then smoothing it with a flexible artists
spatula.
2. Dip the spatula in thin liquid cement and smooth the surface of the
application. The key is to get a smooth, very thin coat as rapidly as
possible, the stuff dries quite rapidly. If the putty starts setting up you
can apply more cement to get it workable again for a brief time.
3. Set the teeth of the Tamiya tool into the putty holding the tool
vertically, and just drag it about 3-5mm. That will give you a short
vertical column of horizontal ridges.
Move the tool down one tool-width and repeat to make the column of ridges
taller, and repeat until you have a vertical column of horizontal ridges
(hope I am not getting terribly unclear here ...) over the entire height of
the turret/hull section. Move over and do the next row until the full 3cm
wide stripe of model is ridged. As you do each row, overlap the previous one
very slightly unless you specifically want pronounced vertical ridges
between your columns.
4. Use liquid cement to clean your tools - the Tamiya tool in particular
will require cleaning at least every couple of rows, because the raked-up
putty will accumulate on it very rapidly. So keep a shallow container of
cement handy for dipping, and a soft cloth for wiping.
5. Also use liquid cement to blend each "stripe" of zimmerit in with the
previous one.
6. When the entire armor plate is done, sand lightly or somewhat more
strongly for a very worn look.
7. This technique will work well for the ridged/raked patterns commonly seen
on the Tiger I, Tiger II, Elephant etc.
8. Work in a very well ventilated area. You will be generating clouds of
fumes that contain ketones and Lord knows what else during this process.
The key to the whole thing is getting comfortable enough with the process to
move quickly and correctly, because of the fast set-up time of the putty.
That's why a bit of practice is essential. Also, at first you should do
smallish sections of the model - later on as you get more comfortable you
can do larger sections at a time.
For this reason some folks prefer slower-setting mediums; I for one used to
use Milliput, it was Ok but it was really hard to get an in-scale, thin
coat; it tended to tear sometimes instead of ridging; and it was hard to
work around small detail because it was so thick - almost like plasticene,
whereas the Tamiya putty cam be thinned out all the way to liquid if you
like. All the same, some people get great results with Milliput, Tony
Greenland for one, and there are many other mediums around I have yet to
try; Zimmer-it-right or some such by R&J products is one that I have been
meaning to try.
Hope this epistle from an admitted amateur will be of some assistance! Have
a look at the articles/posts I mentioned, they undoubtedly say it better
than I have.
Good luck,
David. |
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